Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile
Santiago, officially Santiago de Chile, is the capital of Chile and its largest city when viewed as a conurbation (Greater Santiago). It is situated at an elevation of 520 m (1700 ft) in the country's central valley. Although Santiago is the capital, legislative bodies meet in nearby Valparaíso.
Approximately two decades of uninterrupted economic growth have transformed Santiago into one of Latin America's most sophisticated metropolitan areas, with extensive suburban development, dozens of shopping malls, and impressive high-rise architecture. The city also boasts some of Latin America's most spectacular infrastructure, such as the Santiago Metro and the sparkling new Costanera Norte, a freeway system that passes below downtown and connects the Eastern and Western extremes of the city in 35 minutes. Santiago is headquarters to many important companies and is a regionally important financial center. According to a survey in 2007, Santiago is the third Latin American city by quality of living (after Buenos Aires and Montevideo).
Climate
Santiago has a mild Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), and minimums of a few degrees above freezing. Occasional snowfall occur on higher suburbs of the city. Mean rainfall is 338 mm per year.
Thermal inversion (a meteorological phenomenon whereby a stable layer of warm air holds down colder air close to the ground) causes high levels of smog and air pollution to be trapped and concentrate within the Central Valley during winter months. In the 1990s air pollution fell by about one-third, but there has been little progress since 2000.
The Mapocho river, which crosses the city from the north-east to the south-west of the Central Valley, is contaminated by industrial and household sewage, dumped unfiltered into the river, and by upstream copper-mining waste (there are a number of copper mines in the Andes east of Santiago). The central government recently passed a law that forces industry and local governments to process all their wastewater by 2006. There are now a number of large wastewater processing and recycling plants under construction. There are ongoing plans to decontaminate the river and make it navigable.
Sound levels on the main streets are high, mostly because of noisy diesel buses. Diesel trucks and buses are also major contributors to winter smog. A lengthy replacement process of the bus system began in 2005 and will last until 2010 (see Transportation section below).
Map of the municipalities of Santiago
Music
There are two symphonic orchestras:
- Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, which performs in the Teatro Municipal
- Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, dependent of the Universidad de Chile, performs in its theater.
There are also various jazz establishments, the most notable being the Club de Jazz in Ñuñoa.
Museums
Museums include:
- Centro Cultural Palacio de La Moneda, newest and biggest cultural space, beneath the Citizenry Square, in the south front of the government palace La Moneda
- Museo Arqueológico de Santiago
- Museo de Santiago Casa Colorada
- Museo Catedral Metropolitana
- Museo Colonial San Francisco
- Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
- Museo Histórico Nacional
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
- Museo Interactivo Mirador
- Museo Artequín
- Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Museo Ferroviario
- Museo de la Solidaridad "Salvador Allende"
- Palacio Cousiño
- La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's house, now a museum
Recreation
The city's main parks are:
- San Cristóbal Hill (Cerro San Cristóbal), which includes the Santiago Metropolitan Park Zoo
- O'Higgins Park (Parque O'Higgins)
- Forestal Park (Parque Forestal), park located at the city centre alongside Mapocho river
- Cerro Santa Lucía
Modern ski resorts within an hour's drive east from the city include:
- Farellones
- Valle Nevado is about one hour away.
- La Parva
- Portillo is about three hours away.
Zones of tourist interest:
- Cajón del Maipo
- Viña del Mar and Valparaiso are about one and a half hour away.
Some of the country's most important winegrowing areas lie in the nearby Maipo and Aconcagua Valleys. Several vineyards are located in this area:
- Concha y Toro
- Santa Rita
- Santa Carolina
- Cousiño Macul
Cultural places to visit include:
- Museo de Bellas Artes
- Barrio Bellavista, cultural and bohemian neighborhood
- Central Station, railway station designed by Gustave Eiffel
- Víctor Jara Stadium
- Ex National Congress
- Plaza de Armas, downtown square
- Palacio de La Moneda, government palace
Main soccer stadiums:
- National Stadium (site of the 1962 World Cup final)
- Estadio David Arellano (Monumental)
- Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo